WOWL Side Story: Atmos Trine
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: How did Azurewing, Windrider, and Lightstrike meet for the first time? Why was Azure so hesitant to tell Optimus about her past? A side story and backstory all in one. Be sure to read What Once Was Lost before this or you'll have no idea who these three are.


"Speaking"  
'Thoughts'  
 _'Bonded Thought'_  
::Comm::  
[...]- POV Break

Staring at the wall of her hospital room, her green optics dim and unfocused, Azurewing again tried to ping her two missing trine mates. The emptiness that echoed back made her whimper, her body trembling. The surgeons said that she was completely fixed but they would not release her. Not when there was a good chance that she would let herself fade until her spark was extinguished. Either that or she would become reckless, taunting death in an effort to follow her trine mates to the well of sparks.

News of the disaster had spread and many of the Seekers from the military academy keenly felt the loss of Stargaze and Helios, but none more than Azurewing. She had been their leader and she had failed them. If it had not been for her orders none of them would have been in danger in the first place. It was only because of her trine mates that she had survived at all, damaged as she had been with shorn wings and crushed legs. Helios, strong and honourable mech he was, held the roof of the building up while Stargaze, sweet and kind, had pushed her out of harms way before the building could collapse around them. By the time she woke it was too late to save them.

The guilt at losing her trine, at being the one in charge, at being the only one to survive, had been immense. She spent days staring into nothing and prodding at her empty bond, refusing to eat or acknowledge that others had spoken to her. It was only after a kind doctor, one who had lost his trine long ago, took her under his wing that she began to try and live again. No one knew her pain like Powerstrike.

Eventually Azurewing was given a clean bill of health and allowed to leave the hospital. After her time away she expected to be dismissed from the military for her failure but she had been mistaken. She was too good a soldier, they told her, to waste. Instead they had her train recruits, do much needed paperwork, and after a few flight tests to prove she was back up to military standard she was introduced to her new trine.

At first she wanted to reject the two, they were not Stargaze and Helios. No one could ever replace her dear friends and comrades who had died due to her negligence. Unfortunately she was not given the choice to refuse and soon she was sitting in a room across from the two who would be her new trine.

"So, you're going to be our new Leader." The yellow femme chirped happily. Azure didn't respond, looking between the first femme and the second. It was like the difference between black and white. The second one she almost confused for a mech at first but her form and movements were too obviously femme. She blinked at them, arms crossed, and the yellow one hesitated.

"I didn't come here to play games. You obviously don't want us so I don't know why we're doing this." The medium grey femme said pointedly, her voice low and smooth.

"Again!?" The yellow one said, looking somewhere between angry and dejected. Glancing back at the yellow femme Azure could see the difficulty she had reigning in her emotions immediately and wondered why she had been offered in the first place. The other, on the other hand, just sighed and stood.

"What do you mean again?" Azurewing finally asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Even if she didn't want these two as her trine mates she felt it would be improper of her not to at least hear them out.

"Why do you need a new trine?" Most trines were chosen in the academy, when Seekers were young. There was just this pull on your spark and you knew, without saying anything, who would be in your trine and who would be the leader. As a sparkling she had been very proud, rowdy, and outgoing. Stargaze's kindness and intelligence, coupled with Helios' strength and steadfast nature drew them together and balanced the trine.

"My leader… is gone. Our third decided he couldn't keep fighting without him and left the military to go back to his family." The grey femme's answer was straightforward, if a little acidic in tone. Both of them turned to the yellow Seeker and she began to fidget.

"I never found a proper trine. I've been kicked out of a few because I'm 'discordant' or 'chaotic.' I cause trouble wherever I go..." Though she tried to keep up the charade of cheeriness it was clear that this lack of belonging had caused her some hurt. Azurewing felt for them. Her lonely spark, filled with loss, called out to the two of them and she sighed, shutting off her optics for a moment to collect herself.

"This will not be an easy decision." Azure knew that the higher ups wanted her to create a proper team. She was valuable to them and clearly these other two had skills that were needed. Making a small prayer to Primus she was surprised to feel warmth in her lonely spark. She shrank away from it at first but was overcome by it and knew what she had to do. Powering her optics again she looked between the two and nodded to them.

"The least we can do is try." The look of surprise on the grey femme's face was amusing but not as surprising as the sudden squeal and tackle hug she received from the yellow.

"I'm Azurewing, and I am your new leader." She said formally, a smile turning the corners of her lips up slightly though she was trying to keep a straight face.

"Windrider, the Second." The surprised look melted away from the grey femme and in it's place was a very calm, yet faintly mischievous, smile.

"I'm Lightstrike! I don't mind being third. I'm not all that smart, but I'm great at smashing stuff!" The yellow femme who was almost in her lap now grinned up at her. She could practically feel the happiness radiating off her spark even without the bond that would bind them together.

"Why don't you go back to your seat and we'll talk for a while longer before we tell the higher ups our decision." Azurewing suggested with a slightly raised brow to her new third. Lightstrike looked sheepish as she finally let go and rushed back to her seat, face faintly flushed in embarrassment at her outburst.

[A few months later]

Pinching the bridge of her nose she looked at the destruction of the training room and felt a processor ache forming just behind her optics. Already the problems of her new team were starting to mount and the higher ups weren't happy with them. Lightstrike was the more glaring of the two but Windrider had her own problems that were just as glaring, if less obvious to everyone else. Azure could feel their sparks pulse next to hers and tried to calm them as best she could. This had to stop.

 _'Lightstrike! Get your sorry aft over here.'_ Both her second and third stiffened at her tone, since she had included her second in on the conversation as well. They knew that they had been causing their leader trouble and that the higher ups were angry with their trine but gave them leeway since they were still trying to work out the kinks. Lightstrike trudged over to her, wings drooping with sadness and worry.

"I apologize about my trine mate's appalling behaviour, Zipline. I hope that no one was seriously hurt?" It was both question and statement, one that was responded to affirmatively. The mechs in question would be fine after a quick trip to the medbay. Azure nodded politely before hooking each hand around her two trine mate's arms and dragging them away to a secluded area. Once there she let them go and gave them a look of frustration. Lightstrike was staring at the floor and Windrider was giving her a nasty look. This couldn't go on any longer.

"Lightstrike, what you did today is unacceptable. The training exercise wasn't supposed to be hand to hand and especially wasn't supposed to involve weapons like a hammer, of all things. You can't keep acting out this way. Do you hear me?" A flutter of emotions came through their bond, though she tried to hide it, and Azure's eyes narrowed. Without another word she strode forward and pulled the bulkier femme into an embrace, sending calm and acceptance through their bond. Lightstrike stiffened at first, her body trembling slightly.

 _'Stop. I am not going to get rid of you. I'm not an idiot like your previous Leaders. I know you. I accept that you have troubles with control, and I am willing to work with you on them. I am not your enemy, Lightstrike. I am your Leader, your comrade, and hopefully your friend. We'll find a way for you to learn more control.'_ A sob came out of the larger femme before she suddenly broke and clung to her leader. The floodgates had opened and Azure could only smile and wait or the other to calm down.

 _'Windrider, we need to talk about your disregard for my authority.'_ Turning to look at the other femme her eyes were hard, determined. Azure wanted nothing more than to keep her trine safe, to keep them together. It had been rocky at first, getting to know the two of them, but she had quickly come to like Lightstrike's optimistic outlook and Windrider's dry humour. They could not replace her lost comrades, but they were quickly becoming important to her. Programming she thought she'd lost when she failed her trine had come back with a vengeance. This time she would not fail. She would keep her trine together, keep them whole.

 _'I don't know what you're-'_ Sending a flood of emotions over their bond, frustration, confusion, love and a need to understand she stopped Windrier in her tracks, her emotions so strong the grey femme staggered slightly.

 _'I am not your old Leader, I know how much he meant to you. I know what it's like to lose someone and feel lost. But for this to work I need you to Trust me. You can't keep ignoring my orders or finding loopholes. You need to open up to me about your skills and how to best work with you. I don't want to lose you, either of you.'_ She could feel the raw emotions of her second flow through their bond and braced herself for some form of attack. Windrider looked calm on the outside but her emotions ran deeper than most, her anger especially. Rather than an outright dismissal or an attack she instead felt an echo of loss, frustration, confusion, and tentative hope that Azurewing would lead them fairly. Windrider and Lightstrike's issues both stemmed from the same problem, a feeling of being abandoned. They needed a steady hand, someone they could open up to, someone they could trust would do their damnedest to stay with them no matter what.

 _'I'm sorry Azure, I won't break things anymore, I'm sorry.'_ Looking up at Lightstrike she smiled and shook her head.

 _'It's not that you break things, but What you break. We'll work on figuring out what's okay for you to break and what's not okay, alright?'_ Lightstrike nodded excitedly. She was good at breaking things and she liked it. It would suck if she had to stop altogether and she didn't think it was actually possible for her to stop completely.

 _'I also apologize, Azure. I have been testing your leadership unfairly, comparing it to that of my last leader. You and he are not the same and never will be, I will do my best to realize that.'_ She could feel the affection and happiness echoing through their bonds and sent it back in kind. They had a lot of work to do but she was willing to do it. This was her trine and nothing would ever take them away from her. Primus himself would have to get through her before he could call them back to the well of sparks.

"Your punishment is to clean up the training grounds. Windrider and I will take anything that is too damaged to the smiths while you work." A bright cheery smile and a faintly mischievous grin was the only response she needed.


End file.
